The Henson Journals

Tue 21 April 1931

Volume 52, Pages 164 to 165

[164]

Tuesday, April 21st, 1931.

The weather became distinctly warmer.

Watson, Rector of Houghton–le–Spring, came to lunch, & to discuss the question of his offering a title for a deacon.

I said that there were some parishes in the diocese, wherein there should always be a deacon on the staff, and that his parish was obviously one of these. He said that he would be willing to have a deacon as early as September next.

Charles and I motored to Redmarshall, where I confirmed rather more than 30 persons from that parish, from Bishopton, and from Thorpe Thewles. The incumbents were present. It was to me a pleasant and edifying service, reminding me of the rural confirmations which I enjoyed in the diocese of Hereford. There were more males than females : &, as the number was not great, I confirmed the candidates singly, an arrangement which certainly tends to make the service more impressive. Thanks to the summertime we returned in daylight. The parish church of Redmarshall is dedicated to St Cuthbert, and is a 12th century Norman church, which has been ruthlessly restored.

[165]

["]The debt which England owes to Benedict Biscop is a very great one, and has scarcely ever been fairly recognised: for it may be said that the civilization and learning of the viiith century rested on the monastery which he founded, which produced Bede : and through him the school of York, Alcuin, & the Carolingian School, on which the culture of the Middle Ages was based.["]

Stubbs in D.N.B "Benedictus Biscop"

["]Among the pupils of Bede was Egbert, arch–bishop of York, and among the pupils of Egbert in the Cathedral School of that city was Alcuin (c.735– 804) who was probably born in the year of Bede's death. He owed less, however, to the general supervision of archbishop Egbert than to the direct teaching of his master Ælbert, who (in 766) succeeded Egbert as Archbishop.["]

Sandys 'History of Classical Scholarship' p. 455.